The Last Share: Week 22 of the White Barn Farm CSA

Posted 10/26/2011 5:39pm by Christy and Chris Kantlehner.

You did it! Some of you for three years!!! Congratulations and Thank You for Supporting Us! We hope you have discovered some new vegetables and/or recipes and have enjoyed being a part of the CSA. We certainly feel very fortunate to have you as customers! I will send an email with renewal information in the next couple weeks. We give you all a chance to renew and then open up shares to the waiting list. More details later. For now, get cozy in the kitchen, cause it's getting cold out there!!

1 Head Garlic. Glorious Garlic. If you have a mortar and pestle it is quite exciting to make a garlic-chilli paste. I like to smash up garlic, salt (for abrasion as much as for flavor, perhaps), and little dried Thai hot peppers, cracked open and seeds removed. I use that for the base of the dressing I make for a Napa Cabbage Slaw. You could also add it to some onions and use as the base for a stir fry or soup.

2 lbs Mixed Beets. These can stay in the back of the fridge in a plastic bag for some time. You can roast them and serve as a side or on a salad. Raw beets are not bad. A shredded salad of beets and carrots with a light dressing and some fresh parsley is quite yummy.

1 bunch Hakurei Turnips. These are the tender turnips that you can eat like a radish. The greens are pretty nice too. You guessed it, just sautee them up with garlic and olive oil. If you are going to cook these turnips, just sautee them lightly in butter. They will not hold up to a long oven-roasting.

1 small bunch of Carrots. Shiny, delicious, young carrots. A quick steam is a great way to prepare larger pieces of carrots or whole peeled baby carrots for a sautee – think garlic or ginger and a pinch of brown sugar, splash of orange juice. Shred onto a salad. Chop for a soup. Roast along with your other hard veggies.

1 Butternut Squash. These should be cooked this week or next. We have been under attack from Chipmunks and Gray Squirrels in the greenhouse, where our squash was curing. The little devils would take a bite of each one. If we threw them all out, we wouldn’t have enough to give you a squash for the last share, so most of these have marks and therefore won’t store long. The last time we distributed the Butternut we also got a few reports that they were rotten inside. If this happens to you, please come see us at the stand for a replacement. Same for onions. If you got some rotten ones, please come get some at the stand to take their place.

2 lbs Mixed Potatoes. Adirondack Red, which are pink-fleshed, and Yukon Gold. Roast or boil. It is a great time of the year for those cozy mashed potatoes.

1 bunch Tuscan Kale. Cooked greens are a good side and are probably even good mixed with roasted roots. Finely chopped Kale, sautéed with garlic could go inside Enchiladas with a Salsa Verde (made with tomatillos). White Beans are another good partner for kale. You could make a very simple soup with onions, garlic, kale, white beans, and chicken stock.

3 heads lettuce. Time for a nice fall salad. I love a salad with toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts), a soft cheese (goat, feta, blue), and dried cranberries.

2 lbs Red Onions. Try that Red Onion Jam or Caramelized Onions or just make lots of tuna salad! Slices are great on a burger or a Cheddar Melt. Or in a black bean, garbanzo bean, or pasta salad.

1 Celery Root. Use it whenever you start a soup or stew, boil it along with your taters for mashers. Make a half potato half celeriac gratin. Shred it on a salad. Dress Julienned Celery Root with a Dijon, Honey, Citrus Vinaigrette. Or just roast it.

1 bunch Cilantro. I love the smell of Cilantro! My dad told me today that Julia Childs did not like cilantro! She must not have had it prepared right! Cilantro is the magic ingredient to turn a jar of salsa into a tasty dip for tortilla chips. It is wonderful in a quick miso soup or in a broth with chicken stock, coconut milk, and lime juice. Cilantro is perfect to finish Nachos with or put in a burrito. Tequila, lime, onion, and cilantro makes a super marinade for chicken, shrimp, or fish on the grill. Chopped onions and cilantro along with some sliced cabbage and white fish are one of the keys to fish tacos.

1 head Broccoli. Don’t forget to check for caterpillars. One of my favorite combos is garlic and soy sauce for an easy sautee or grilled dish.

1 Bag Fall Salad Mix. Our special mix of fall greens for your salad bowl. These greens are tasty! I enjoyed a kind of weird sandwich on my way out the door last Saturday to waitress at Al Forno. Wheat bread spread with cream cheese and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, a handful of our fall mix and a handful of clover sprouts. Weird but good. Have you ever tried a peanut butter and scallion sandwich? It’s a lot better than it sounds.